Manitoba Music
Manitoba Music Hits a High Note with Export Mission to Los Angeles
Manitoba Music is returning to Los Angeles this month to build bridges with the massive music market.
Under the Manitoba Music Export banner, six export-ready Manitoba-based artists and members of their teams are making the trip for business activities including meetings and networking opportunities, January 22-25.
Three artists will perform at an industry showcase. Alternative R&B/pop artist Ami Cheon, art rap ensemble Super Duty Tough Work, and indie rock band Living Hour will hit the showcase stage and engage in business development opportunities coordinated with Little Spark Music. The showcase is being co-hosted by the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, with the support of their Creative Industries Trade Commissioners.
Three songwriters will build their professional connections through sessions curated with Terrorbird Media. The lineup includes soulful Franco-Manitoban and Red River Métis singer/songwriter Andrina Turenne, poet/producer/multi-instrumentalist Lev Snowe, and indie singer/songwriter The Secret Beach.
Winnipeg-based music companies will join the artists for this year's trade mission, including Birthday Cake Media (Begonia, Leith Ross, Living Hour, The Bros. Landreth) and Misfit Music MGMT (Leonard Sumner, Sierra Noble, Super Duty Tough Work, Tennyson King). Representatives from Manitoba Film & Music will also be a key part of the mission, with contributions through business connections and funding support.
In addition to the industry showcase and cowriting sessions, the mission is designed to provide networking opportunities and one-on-one meetings with key figures in the LA-based music industry. The goal is to facilitate collaborations, licensing opportunities, and international partnerships that will contribute to the long-term success of the music industry in Manitoba.
"We’re excited to bring the diverse sounds of our province to this global music hub,” says Vanessa Kuzina, Manitoba Music’s executive director. “Each of these artists and music companies has been building their international networks and consistently demonstrating exceptional creativity, and this export mission is a fantastic opportunity to build valuable connections, open doors, and elevate the profile of the music industry in Manitoba."
Bringing Manitoba music to new markets and intensifying business activity in existing and new markets is a key component of Manitoba Music's trade and business development activities. Manitoba Music Export is funded by the Province of Manitoba, FACTOR and the Government of Canada, and Manitoba Film & Music. Through events like these, Manitoba Music is able to increase the connection between our province’s music industry and the broader national and international industry, which is vital to the career advancement of Manitoba artists and industry professionals, and contributes to the growth and development of Manitoba’s economy.
Ami Cheon
Showcasing
An Ami Cheon tune is trance-like, blending alternative R&B with elements of soul and pop. Pulsing backing vocals, layered over mellow, carefully crafted production is where Ami lives. Self written and produced, Ami pours her soul into the music she makes. As a gifted vocalist, she emotes effortlessly; gracious and open on every track, delivering raw, emotional tunes reminiscent of artists like SZA, Frank Ocean and D’angelo. Her live show is seductive, passionate and powerful – effortlessly sexy, she consistently creates a safe space with a frequency and vibe that’s infectious.
Andrina Turenne
Songwriting
Through soulful melodies and woodsy motifs, Andrina Turenne tells stories through song, delivered in the spirit of road trips, kitchen parties, and bonfire gatherings. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Canada, the Franco-Manitoban and Red River Métis singer-songwriter performed in the Juno-award-winning band Chic Gamine, toured five continents and has been featured on over 50 albums. In April 2023, Turenne released her first solo project, Bold as Logs. The bilingual, spirited debut has charted on independent radio in Canada and the US, and explores the wonders of nature, the histories of her homeland and the complexity of human relationships.
Lev Snowe
Songwriting
Poet, producer, and multi-instrumentalist, Lev Snowe finds stillness catching perfect words from the sky, fusing them with earthly guitars, synths, or whatever it takes to turn daily idiosyncrasy into ethereal, astro-pop poetry. Flung out like distorted neons across the wistful horizon, Lev’s whimsical tales burst from their home studio confines, channeling loose memories of 90s alt rock, 60s psychedelia, and contemporary indie folk.
Living Hour
Showcasing
Living Hour is an indie rock band from Winnipeg. Their music is distinguished by lead vocalist Sam Sarty's emotive and creative singing, cinematic soundscapes, lush instrumentation, and a playful musical interplay between the band. Living Hour recently completed their fourth full length album with producer and mixing engineer Melina Duterte (Boygenius, Jay Som, Chastity Belt). Living Hour has toured extensively in North America and Europe, and has played sold out shows in Montreal, Vancouver, Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and Washington DC.
Super Duty Tough Work
Showcasing
Golden-era taste, future-era based. Tylenol 3 for capitalist migraines. Resistance-based debauchery for disaffected baddies. Super Duty Tough Work is a constantly evolving art-rap ensemble pushing a radical politic of revolution, party and bullshit. Inspired by the dirty jazz sample sound of 90s east coast hip hop, revered for methodically curated sets, SDTW mixes laidback rap action and razor-sharp delivery with hypnotic loops and effortless transitions, keeping audiences excited for what’s next. Polaris Prize nominated, they excel in studio and on stage, a fresh take on tradition in a movement where loops are slayed, and jewels are tools of the trade.
The Secret Beach
Songwriting
The Secret Beach is the moniker used by Winnipeg, Manitoba born singer-songwriter Micah Erenberg, whose refreshingly plainspoken candor has become a dominant through-line in his ever-expanding catalog. Whether releasing records under his own name, or lending his talents as a producer, Erenberg exists in a constant whirlpool of creation. His latest offering, Songs From The Secret Beach, finds beauty in the mundanity of daily life. Produced by Erenberg, and mixed by revered producer/engineer Rob Schnapf (Kurt Vile, Beck, Cass Mccombs), this collection is at once an exercise in restraint, as well as an arrestingly lush exploration of sonic possibility.
Birthday Cake Media
Music Company
Birthday Cake is committed to elevating and celebrating artists that move us and make us think. We strive to create and nurture successful, sustainable music careers globally, with a commitment to integrity, kindness, and resilience. We're incredibly grateful to be a part of this thriving community of world-class creatives and industry professionals.
Misfit Music MGMT
Music Company
Misfit Music MGMT puts joy in the journey. With an artist-first, industry-second approach, we help music creators set realistic expectations, find sustainability through community, and celebrate the milestones we help them reach.